Omaha daily bee., 1887-01-07


the pioneers of civilization into this western
section Of the country and have advanced its
settlement from quarter to halt century
beyond what IL would have been without
them. The people, having become accus.
toned 70 them, cannot dispense with them.
They nave come to I've an absolute necessity
in the economies Ot life.
But while doing Justice to railroads ana
freely acknowledging their benefits, 1t must
also be maintained that railroads must be so
mana-ed and controlled rs to improve the
interests of the people. While railways are
q necessity to the people, the people are also
a necessity to railways The relations they
sustain To each other must hc mutual gud
should be So adjusted that the interests OF
both shall De promoted ami protected. Those
who invest their means in railroad property
have a right to expect a fair return on their
Investments. Those who labor have the
same right to expect iair reward for their
labor which is their capital invested Rail-
ways should so arrange their tariffs OF charges
that farmers, gra2ors, manufacturers, mcr-
chants and all who ship over them, can do 80
and receive a rcmuuerdtive profit from thcr
business. That familiar prccept, live and let
liye,' should be the controlling spirit ut all
Ii the managers Of corporations and oil who
employ labor would always apprcci-
ate the conditions of the toilrrs,
welfare, and seek to improve it, and would
btStow compensation Just to the employees,
and COMMENSURATE with fair return 10 the
properties they represent, there would be
are subjected to oppressive charges by rail
ways, sleeping car companies, or other COM
mon carriers, and redress is refused by those
who nave the power To grant II. then the leg
iSlatiNc powers of the nation and the state
must interposo by APPLYING the remedy, and
see that it Is enforced. That legislative
power must always be cNcrted for the mutual
benefit and protection of all the people. The
same rules and laws which direct and con-
troll the assessment and taxation OF the prop
erty of individuals must direct and control
the assessment and taxation of the prop
erty of corporations There must be no dis
terS and must rule. In whatever legislation
You adopt care should be taken that no meas
ure be passed which will cripple or hinder
the building of railroads in Nebraska.
THE LADoRlNG INTERESTS.
Any measure which enlightened states
maushp and an intelligent consideration of
the subject can devise 10 promote the inter
cSts of labor and to elevate the condition OF
the laboring classes, should receive from you
the most thoughtful and favorable consider
alton. Our sympathies should ever lay with
those whose lives are devoted to daily toll,
Tor they are among the strong pillars of sup
port TO society and government.
The most practicable plan, in my judg-
ment, for the adjustment of these difficulties
is by the establishment of board of aIbltra-
ton.
All reforms must be worked out and ac-
complished by and through the law, aided by
enlightened public opinion If the laws are
not Sufficient let them be amended or new
ones enacted. When one steps outside the
law and attempts to secure redress by violent
means he then becomes a law breaker and
forfeits his claim to public sympathy and
support. The law will prevail. 1t may ut
times be set at defiance, but it will prove su-
preme.
PURITY IN ELECTIONS.
| pray you to consider whether any amend
mcnts to our present election laws are
needed to render them more effective, to
make their provisions more stringent and
their penalties more certain and severe
against bribery ut elections. Their g Is reason
to apprehend that this crime is increasing
and that its very frequency is causing 1t to be
regarded with leniency and indifference. 1t
has come, to pass that some men look for
ward to the coming of the annual elections
aS their harvest time, when they will seek to
secure the highest price attainable for their
American citizenship the subject of barter
and SALE thus sinking themselves to the low
est depths of moral dcgradation. The pur-
chase and sale of votes is 4 crime of the
most henious character against the state,
against society, against civilization. Prose
cutting officers and grand luries through
out the state must realize that ii is their
duty to employ all means IN their power to
suppress this great wrong. Men who Will
purchase and sell votes in primary elections,
municipal elections county elections, state
elections congressional elections, in state
legislatures and in public Offices, should be
/ submit to you the advisabilitY, yea, the
necessity, OF making our election laws in
this respect applicable to the primaries In
addition to cnllinS your attention to this h
giving expression to these views in this
public manner, the attention of the people
may he awakened to realization OF the
enOrmty OF this evil, and that the full power
of public opinion may be brought to bear
upon prosecuting officers to perform their
whole duty, and TO sustain them in do
ing so.
AMENDMENT OF TIE REVENUE LAW.
1t is evident that q revision and amend
ment of the present revenue law are ncces.
sary, especially III regard TO the method OF
assessment and taxation, which is faulty and
liable to abuse. In its execution there is in
and corrupt practice. There are many who
Will resort to every scheme, device or de-
| cepli0n which ingenuity can devise, yes,
even to falSehOod to deceive an honest asses
SOT, while they easily arrange matters with
a dishonest one. They are guilty of that for
which, under other designations of crimes,
conyicts are serving the state in the peni-
tentiary, and yet they are honorable men, of
course ana good citizens though halt or two.
thirds OF their property escapes taxation and
the assessors grow rich. and those property
owners admire their own shrcwdness in de-
Vising successful schemes TO dciraud the
state.
Permit me to suggest change in the basis
| OF assessment. Let all taxable property, real
and personal, be appraised and assessed at lis
| full, fair, actual value. Then let the levy be-
made on One.third or One-iourth of its mp
| praised value. If there is reason to believe
| the owner Is cOnccaling any property tC
| eyade taxation, make il obligatory on the as
| SCISSOR to put him under oath with the pain
and penalties Of perjury attached. il the
| ASSESSORS fail to require the oath, let the as
| SCISSOR be paniShed with Imprisonment
BY this plan the property OF all viii bC
| treated alike; which is one OF the nShc,
aims of government.
| THE EQUAIIZATION BOARD.
| Ii may be doubted that the state officers arc
| the persons who are best fitted 10 be members
| OF the state board of equalization. They cal
| at best have but vague idea OF the value O
property in different portions OF the state
| But il there could be established n board O1
| commissioners OF assessment and taxation L
| be composed of one commissioner tor the
| state at large and one for each county, whC
| might be the chairman Of the board OF count
| commissioners or of the supervisors, wh(
| shall meet at tho state capitol once yea
| there would then be several members preScn
| from the section of the state from which tht
case oil disputed assessment should come, anC
| they would he much better judges in SIcf
| matters than slate officers. Furthermore
| property should be assessed by three disn
| terrsGed persons. The power and the tcmpta
| tons are to great for one man 10 eXCrCis,
| and 10 meet.
| CONVERSATION FoR STOCK SLAIN TO PRE-
| VENT THE SPREAD OF CONIA-